Mehmed I ( 1386 – 26 May 1421), also known as Mehmed Çelebi ( ota, چلبی محمد, "the noble-born") or Kirişçi ( el, Κυριτζής, Kyritzis, "lord's son"), was the
Ottoman sultan from 1413 to 1421. The fourth son of Sultan
Bayezid I and
Devlet Hatun
Devlet Hatun ( ota, دولت خاتون; 1361 – 23 January 1414) was the wife of Sultan Bayezid I, and the mother of Mehmed I of the Ottoman Empire.
Biography
Devlet Hatun was the twelfth and last wife of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and the mo ...
, he fought with his brothers over control of the Ottoman realm in the
Ottoman Interregnum (1402–1413). Starting from the province of
Rûm he managed to bring first
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
and then the European territories (
Rumelia) under his control, reuniting the Ottoman state by 1413, and ruling it until his death in 1421. Called "The Restorer," he reestablished central authority in Anatolia, and he expanded the Ottoman presence in Europe by the conquest of
Wallachia in 1415. Venice destroyed his fleet off
Gallipoli in 1416 as the Ottomans lost a naval war.
Early life
Mehmed was born in 1386 or 1387 as the fourth son of Sultan
Bayezid I () and one of his consorts, the slave girl
Devlet Hatun
Devlet Hatun ( ota, دولت خاتون; 1361 – 23 January 1414) was the wife of Sultan Bayezid I, and the mother of Mehmed I of the Ottoman Empire.
Biography
Devlet Hatun was the twelfth and last wife of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and the mo ...
. Following Ottoman custom, when he reached
adolescence in 1399, he was sent to gain experience as provincial governor over the
Rûm Eyalet (central northern
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
), recently conquered from its
Eretnid
The Eretnids ( tr, Eretna Beyliği) were an Anatolian beylik that succeeded the Ilkhanid governors in Anatolia and that ruled in a large region extending between Caesarea (Kayseri), Sebastea (Sivas) and Amaseia (Amasya) in Central Anatolia between ...
rulers.
On 20 July 1402, his father Bayezid was defeated in the
Battle of Ankara by the Turko-Mongol conqueror and ruler
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
. The brothers (with the exception of
Mustafa, who was captured and taken along with Bayezid to
Samarkand) were rescued from the battlefield, Mehmed being saved by
Bayezid Pasha
Bayezid Pasha or Beyazid Pasha (also known as Amasyalı Beyazid Pasha; died July 1421) was an Ottoman Albanian statesman who served as grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421.İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Tür ...
, who took him to his hometown of
Amasya. Mehmed later made Bayezid Pasha his
grand vizier (1413–1421).
The early Ottoman Empire had no
regulated succession, and according to Turkish tradition, every son could succeed his father. Of Mehmed's brothers, the eldest, Ertuğrul, had died in 1400, while the next in line, Mustafa, was a prisoner of Timur. Leaving aside the underage siblings, this left four princes—Mehmed,
Süleyman
Suleyman or Süleyman is a variant of Suleiman (the Arabic name ). It means "man of peace". Notable people with the name include:
Suleyman
*Suleyman I of Rûm or Suleiman ibn Qutulmish (d. 1086), founder of an independent Seljuq Turkish state in ...
,
İsa, and
Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
*Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
* Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
* Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
* Musa, Kerman, Iran
* Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaija ...
, to contend over control of the remaining Ottoman territories in the civil war known as the "
Ottoman Interregnum". In modern historiography, these princes are usually called by the title ''
Çelebi'', but in contemporary sources, the title is reserved for Mehmed and Musa. The Byzantine sources translated the title as ''Kyritzes'' (Κυριτζής), which was in turn adopted into Turkish as ''kirişçi'', sometimes misinterpreted as ''güreşçi'', "the wrestler".
During the early interregnum, Mehmed Çelebi behaved as Timur's vassal. Beside the other princes, Mehmed minted coin which Timur's name appeared as "Demur han Gürgân" (تيمور خان كركان), alongside his own as "Mehmed bin Bayezid han" (محمد بن بايزيد خان).
This was probably an attempt on Mehmed's part to justify to Timur his conquest of
Bursa after the
Battle of Ulubad. After Mehmed established himself in ''Rum'', Timur had already begun preparations for his return to Central Asia, and took no further steps to interfere with the ''status quo'' in Anatolia.
Reign
After winning the
Interregnum, Mehmed crowned himself sultan in the
Thracian city of
Edirne that lay in the European part of the empire (the area dividing the Anatolian and European sides of the empire,
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
and the surrounding region, was still held by the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
), becoming Mehmed I. He consolidated his power, made Edirne the most important of the dual capitals, and conquered parts of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...
, the
Jandarid
The Isfendiyarids or Isfendiyarid dynasty (Modern Turkish: ''İsfendiyaroğulları'', ''İsfendiyaroğulları Beyliği''), also known as the Beylik of Sinop, Beylik of Isfendiyar (''İsfendiyar Beyliği''), Jandarids or Beylik of Jandar (''Cand ...
emirate, and the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from the
Mamelukes. Taking his many achievements into consideration, Mehmed is widely known as the "second founder" of the Ottoman Sultanate.
Soon after Mehmed began his reign, his brother
Mustafa Çelebi
Mustafa Çelebi (d. May 1422), also called Mustafa the Impostor ( tr, Düzmece Mustafa or ''Düzme Mustafa''), was an Ottoman prince who struggled to gain the throne of the Ottoman Empire in the early 15th century. He was the Sultan of Rumelia ...
, who had originally been captured along with their father Bayezid I during the
Battle of Ankara and held captive in
Samarkand, hiding in Anatolia during the Interregnum, reemerged and asked Mehmed to partition the empire with him. Mehmed refused and met Mustafa's forces in battle, easily defeating them. Mustafa escaped to the Byzantine city of
Thessaloniki, but after an agreement with Mehmed, the Byzantine emperor
Manuel II Palaiologos exiled Mustafa to the island of
Lemnos.
However, Mehmed still faced some problems, first being the problem of his nephew Orhan, who Mehmed perceived as a threat to his rule, much like his late brothers had been. There was allegedly a plot involving him by
Manuel II Palaiologos, who tried to use Orhan against Sultan Mehmed; however, the sultan found out about the plot and had Orhan blinded for betrayal, according to a common Byzantine practice.
Furthermore, as a result of the
Battle of Ankara and other civil wars, the population of the empire had become unstable and traumatized. A very powerful social and religious movement arose in the empire and became disruptive. The movement was led by
Sheikh Bedreddin (1359–1420), a famous Muslim Sufi and charismatic theologian. He was an eminent
Ulema
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
, born of a Greek mother and a Muslim father in Simavna (Kyprinos) southwest of
Edirne (formerly
Adrianople). Mehmed's brother
Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
*Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
* Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
* Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
* Musa, Kerman, Iran
* Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaija ...
had made Bedreddin his "
qadi
A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...
of the army," or the supreme judge. Bedreddin created a populist religious movement in the Ottoman Sultanate, "subversive conclusions promoting the suppression of social differences between rich and poor as well as the barriers between different forms of monotheism."
[Europe and the Islamic World: A History. p. 128.Tolan, John. Princeton university Press. (2013) ] Successfully developing a popular social revolution and
syncretism of the various religions and sects of the empire, Bedreddin's movement began in the European side of the empire and underwent further expansion in western Anatolia.
In 1416, Sheikh Bedreddin started his rebellion against the throne. After a four-year struggle, he was finally captured by Mehmed's
grand vizier Bayezid Pasha
Bayezid Pasha or Beyazid Pasha (also known as Amasyalı Beyazid Pasha; died July 1421) was an Ottoman Albanian statesman who served as grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421.İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Tür ...
and hanged in the city of
Serres, a city in modern-day
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
, in 1420.
Death
The reign of Mehmed I as sultan of the re-united empire lasted only eight years before his death, but he had also been the most powerful brother contending for the throne and ''de facto'' ruler of most of the empire for nearly the whole preceding period of 11 years of the
Ottoman Interregnum that passed between his father's captivity at
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
and his own final victory over his brother
Musa Çelebi at the
Battle of Çamurlu.
Before his death, to secure passing the throne safely to his son Murad II, Mehmed
blinded his nephew Orhan Çelebi (son of Süleyman), and decided to send his two sons Yusuf and Mahmud to be held as a hostage by
Emperor Manuel II, hoping to ensure the continuing custody of his brother Mustafa.
He was buried in Bursa, in a mausoleum erected by himself near the celebrated mosque which he built there, and which, because of its decorations of green glazed tiles, is called the
Green Mosque. Mehmed I also completed another mosque in Bursa, which his grandfather
Murad I had commenced but which had been neglected during the reign of
Bayezid. Mehmed founded in the vicinity of his own Green Mosque and mausoleum two other characteristic institutions, one a school and one a refectory for the poor, both of which he endowed with royal munificence.
Wives and children
;Wives
*Şehzade Hatun, daughter of Dividdar Ahmed Pasha, third ruler of Kutluşah of
Canik
Canik is one of the main municipalities in Samsun, Turkey, located at the east of the city center. The municipality had 89,753 inhabitants as of the 2009 census.
Canik means land of Tzan/Can Laz people and became one of the four town municipaliti ...
;
*
Emine Hatun (m. 1403), daughter of Şaban Süli Bey, fifth ruler of
Dulkadirids
The Anatolian beylik of Dulkadir (Modern Turkish: ''Dulkadiroğulları Beyliği''), was one of the frontier principalities established by the Turkoman clans Bayat, Afshar and Begdili after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm.
Capitals
T ...
;
*Kumru Hatun, mother of Selçuk Hatun;
;Sons
*Sultan
Murad II, son of Emine Hatun;
*Şehzade
Küçük Mustafa
Küçük Mustafa ("Mustafa the Small" or "Mustafa the Little" or "Mustafa the Young"; 1409 – 1422) was an Ottoman prince ( tr, şehzade) who fought to gain control of the throne of the Ottoman Empire in 1422. It was used by the Ottoman chron ...
Çelebi
(1408 – killed October 1423);
*Şehzade Mahmud Çelebi
(1413 – August 1429, buried in Mehmed I Mausoleum, Bursa);
*Şehzade Yusuf Çelebi
(1414 – August 1429, buried in Mehmed I Mausoleum, Bursa);
*Şehzade Ahmed Çelebi
(died in infancy);
;Daughters
*
Selçuk Hatun (died 25 October 1485, buried in Mehmed I Mausoleum, Bursa), married Prince Damat Taceddin Ibrahim II Bey, ruler of
Isfendiyarids (1392 – 30 May 1443), son of Prince
İsfendiyar Bey
İsfendiyar Bey (full name: İzzettin İsfendiyar) was the bey (ruler) of Candaroğlu Beylik an Anatolian beylik between 1385 and 1440 (Anatolia is the Asiatic part of Turkey). Although the name of the dynasty is ''Candar'', Ottoman Empire histor ...
, ruler of Isfendiyarids;
*Sultan Hatun (died 1444), married Prince Damat Kasim Bey (died 1464), son of Prince Isfendiar Bey, ruler of Isfendiyarids;
*Hatice Hatun, married to Damat Karaca Paşa (died 10 November 1444);
*Hafsa Hatun (buried in Mehmed I Mausoleum, Bursa), married Damat Mahmud Bey (died January 1444), son of Çandarlı Halil Pasha;
*
İlaldi Hatun, married
Prince Damat Ibrahim II Bey,
ruler of Karamanids (died 16 July 1464), son of
Prince Mehmed II Bey;
*A daughter, married to Prince Damat Isa Bey (died 1437), son of
Prince Damat Mehmed II Bey;
*Ayşe Hatun (buried in Mehmed I Mausoleum, Bursa);
*Sitti Hatun (buried in Mehmed I Mausoleum, Bursa);
* A daughter, married to Prince
Damat Alaattin Ali Bey,
ruler of Karamanids, son of
Prince Halil Bey;
References
Sources
*
*
Further reading
* Harris, Jonathan, ''The End of Byzantium''. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2010.
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehmed 01
15th-century Ottoman sultans
People of the Ottoman Interregnum
1421 deaths
1386 births
15th-century people from the Ottoman Empire